I attended a meeting with people from the 4th ward community of Plainfield as well as the New Jersey School Development Authority. It was a very helpful and informative meeting. With the help of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, NJSDA, I was able to provide the community with information that in the past, they were not able to receive. The money to finish off the Cook School project as well as the Emerson School project is available. Although we recognized in Trenton there were a lot of problems, I would like to congratulate the new CEO, Kris Kolluri, who heads the NJSDA Corporation. We are now able to move forward with the 2008 Capital Plan, which includes funding for Woodland School.
I am going to, in the future; share as much information as I possibly can with the community, because it is clear in the City of Plainfield that there is more misinformation going around than truth, which leaves people confused.
The letter explains where the Capital Funding, $17 million, for Woodland School has been approved but the school district itself would like to see that project put on the side so that the Cook School project can be carried out. The reason why I am sharing this information with the public is because I feel that decision should be made between the school district and the people in the City. Surely this will avert any finger-pointing practices when decisions are finally made, for all opinion would have been given and discussed. I solicited and fought for the funds, and now it is ultimately up to the school district to make the right decisions as to how that funding will be spent.
The reason why I am sharing the letter I received from the NJSDA is because there is currently a credibility issue here in the City and I would like to feel that any information I can share with the public, I am prepared to share it. I believe it is very important to have first-hand information that is correct and accurate, so that when people attend informational meetings, the public is able to ask accurate questions.
After reading this letter, it is clear that the City has not missed any deadlines regarding seeking and qualifying for school funding.
So here is a letter I received from the NJSDA regarding the funding and request swap as per letter.
SDA
New Jersey School Development Authority
February 15, 2009
Dear Assemblyman Green:
This letter is to provide project specific information to you regarding Plainfield’s schools as a follow-up with your recent conversations with Kris Kolluri, NJSDA’s new CEO. There are several attachments to this letter. The first attachment is a summary of all the projects in your legislative district, its nature and how much has been paid to date by the SDA. As you can see there are a few grants (Plainfield, Clark, and Green Brook) that have been approved by the SDA, but have not been allocated to date. There could be many reasons for this, but to date the SDA does not have a record of response from the respective districts as to the status of these projects.
Also, on page four of the first attachment, you will see that Woodland Elementary School was an approved project utilizing new funds from the 2008 Capital Plan. It is our understanding that the district has requested a swap from the DOE of Woodland ES for the Cook ES project. We have been informed by the DOE that they are still in discussions with the District on the program and model for the proposed swap. Resolutions of the program and model issues are the required next steps in advancing this project.
The second attachment is a list of the top 10 projects in Plainfield, identified by the district that could be addressed with federal stimulus funding. The SDA is working in concert with the Governor’s office to ensure that any available funds for school construction be used quickly and equitably. When we have more information on which projects will be funded, we will be sure to provide you with an update.
I am going to, in the future; share as much information as I possibly can with the community, because it is clear in the City of Plainfield that there is more misinformation going around than truth, which leaves people confused.
The letter explains where the Capital Funding, $17 million, for Woodland School has been approved but the school district itself would like to see that project put on the side so that the Cook School project can be carried out. The reason why I am sharing this information with the public is because I feel that decision should be made between the school district and the people in the City. Surely this will avert any finger-pointing practices when decisions are finally made, for all opinion would have been given and discussed. I solicited and fought for the funds, and now it is ultimately up to the school district to make the right decisions as to how that funding will be spent.
The reason why I am sharing the letter I received from the NJSDA is because there is currently a credibility issue here in the City and I would like to feel that any information I can share with the public, I am prepared to share it. I believe it is very important to have first-hand information that is correct and accurate, so that when people attend informational meetings, the public is able to ask accurate questions.
After reading this letter, it is clear that the City has not missed any deadlines regarding seeking and qualifying for school funding.
So here is a letter I received from the NJSDA regarding the funding and request swap as per letter.
SDA
New Jersey School Development Authority
February 15, 2009
Dear Assemblyman Green:
This letter is to provide project specific information to you regarding Plainfield’s schools as a follow-up with your recent conversations with Kris Kolluri, NJSDA’s new CEO. There are several attachments to this letter. The first attachment is a summary of all the projects in your legislative district, its nature and how much has been paid to date by the SDA. As you can see there are a few grants (Plainfield, Clark, and Green Brook) that have been approved by the SDA, but have not been allocated to date. There could be many reasons for this, but to date the SDA does not have a record of response from the respective districts as to the status of these projects.
Also, on page four of the first attachment, you will see that Woodland Elementary School was an approved project utilizing new funds from the 2008 Capital Plan. It is our understanding that the district has requested a swap from the DOE of Woodland ES for the Cook ES project. We have been informed by the DOE that they are still in discussions with the District on the program and model for the proposed swap. Resolutions of the program and model issues are the required next steps in advancing this project.
The second attachment is a list of the top 10 projects in Plainfield, identified by the district that could be addressed with federal stimulus funding. The SDA is working in concert with the Governor’s office to ensure that any available funds for school construction be used quickly and equitably. When we have more information on which projects will be funded, we will be sure to provide you with an update.
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